Typewriting machine



March 29, 1932. A. F. LEAR 7 TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct. 7, 1927Patented Mar. 29, 1932 UNETED STATS:

ARTHUR F.- LEAR, OF BROOKLYN, YORK; ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWO'OD-ELLIOTT il-ICE FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARETYPEWRITING MACHINE Application filed October. 7, 1927'. Serial No.224,531;

This invention relates to paper-feeding mechanism in small typewriters,and in par.- ticular is directed to improvements on the feed-rolls andadjacent parts. The object is to provide a compact and simpleconstruction for easy insertion and aligning of a work-piece and properfeed thereof over a revoluble platen.

In the platen-carriage of an Underwood portable typewriter (shown toillustrate the invention), a paper guide or apron encircles the lowerpart of the platen and rocks, and serves as a movable support for thepressure feed-rolls to release or restore the same. I

A feature of the invention provides a swingable member or systemcompactly are the lower part of the platen.

ranged upon said paper-guide, tiltable also in a plane at right anglesto the platen-axis, and carrying at opposed ends the feed-rolls proper.This arrangement allows a combined front and rear set of feed-rolls,upon engagement thereof, to balance each other and to be self-adjusting,to bear evenly upon It will serve to '1' easily insert a work-piece dueto the presence of the rear feed-rolls and to keep the work in arealcontact with the platen when feeding. Itwill hence positively preventits shifting relatively to the platen, which. is liable to occur where asingle row of feed rolls only offers line-contact of the paper with theplaten and wherever the feed-roll pressure is not properly equalized.

In the preferred embodiment there is provided a plurality of suchtilting systems upon the apron, which offers greater adaptability to theplaten, and whereby, in addition, eachunit in itself, due tolooseinterconnection of the parts, is renderedhighly adaptable to thep'lat'en-surface. This adaptability of the feed-rolls is essential inportable type-writers to-ma'ke upfor allowance in manufacture and fordeformation of parts of the machine, liable to occur with the generallight structure of such machines.

Another feature relates tomeans for conducting and aligning thework-piece, which may be advantageously used with the presentarrangement of feed-rolls. In constructions known heretofore, aconventional front scale for paper aligning, bearingthe usualpaperfingers, laterally slidable thereon, has been rigidly connected tothe front part of the paper-guide, and, when shifting the feed-rolls bytilting saidpaper-guide, the front scale will perform a noticeableup-and-do-wn move 11 ent which might confuse the o-peratorin aligningthe work-piece. According to this.

feature, arrangement is made sothat the front scale and thepaper-fingers as a separate front-guiding structure may be supportedupon the platen-carriage bysuitable movable or resilient members, whichallow said structure to be moved relatively to the platen-surface forconvenient paper insertion and alignment, this movement or play beingautomatically provided by the operative relation between the feed-roll-rel'ease mechanism and said front structure.

T he novel arrangement of the front struc-' titre furthermore providesthat the front scale may be arranged with better visibility for theoperator that strain upon the paperguide will not affect said frontstructure, which, due to its independent resilient supports, may beevenly held against the platen over its entire length; that the simpleshape of the pap'er guide will allow its cheap replacement; and that theplay of the front scale structure may be easily controlled and regulatedby constructive measures'to suit feed-roll mechanism havingself-adjusting.

feed-rolls and showing the novel arrangement of the front scale andpaper-fingers. The

I mechanism'is shown in paper-feeding engagement.

Figure 2 is a similarsection, showing'the feed-rolls in releasedposition and the apron effectively separating the front scale fromthepl'aten.

Figure 3 is a plan view upon a platen-carriage with the platen removedto show the arrangement of independent sets of self-ad justingfeed-rolls and with parts broken away to show constructive details.

Figure 4 is a detached fractional perspee tive showing more clearly thearrangement of the self-adjusting feed-rolls and their relation to thefront scale and paper-fingers, the platen being indicated in dot anddash.

In Figure 1 is shown a platen-carriage of a typewriter including sideplates 10, a baseplate 11 and a tie-rod 12 connecting said side platesin which is journaled a shaft 13 of a platen 13. The platen may berotated by means of a finger-wheel 14 shown at the righthand end of theplaten-shaft. The usual linespace mechanism is indicated by aratchetwheel 14 A striking type-bar 15 (in dot and dash) is included toindicate the front of the platen. The base-plate 11 of theplatencarriage is formed with rail-members 16 for guiding letter-feedmovement of the platencarriage. A paper guide or apron 17 encircling thelower part of the platen is preferably reversely curved as shown. It isformed of a single piece of sheet-metal and is pro- Vided at either sidewith a turned-down ear 18 to receive a pivot 19 to bear in a bearingplate 20, which is mounted upon the platenframe. As shown in thedrawings, paperguide 17 may be rocked around its pivots in a plane atright angles to the platen-axis be tween Figure 1 and Fi ure 2positions. The paper-guide carries two independent feedroll units 21symmetrically disposed at the left and the right hand lower part of theplaten and depending from beneath the lower side thereof. One unitincludes a front roller 22 and a rear roller 23, each having a shaft 24,both shafts at either end being loosely joined by cross-members orhangers 25 to form a roller-carrying system which is pivoted for slighttilting movement upon the lower side of the paper-guide 17, which hasprovided therein rectangular apertures 25 through which the feed-rollersextend into contact with the platen-surface. To support the unit uponthe paper-guide the hangers 25 are loosely mounted upon an axle 26intermediate said two rollers and journaled in depending cars 27 whichare riveted at 28 ontosaidpaper-guide17. Theprojectingends 29 of theaxle are flattened out at 29 to secure the same in place (see Figure 4).In the Figure 1 position of the paper-table the rollers bear upon theplaten for feed of the paper by means of the same, while a coil-spring3O pressing upon said apron furnishes tension to the feed-rolls. Abracket 30 screwed upon the base-plate has a pin to extend inside thespring 30to serve as a footing, while the other end of the spring isheld in place by another pin upon the paper-guide. In Figure 2 positionof the paper-table, pressure feed-rolls are shown as being released fromthe platen to permit the easy insertion, removal and adjustment of thepaper. In or der to throw the paper-table from Figure 1 to Figure 2position so as to release the rolls, an arm 31 is provided. This arm hasa lateral ofiset 32 at its upper end, which carries roller 33 forfrictionless engagement with the rear of the paper-table. The arm 31 isfast to or forms an offset on one end of a rockshaft 34.

The rock-shaft extends longitudinally of the carriage and finds itsbearings as in bookmembers 35 screwed at 36 upon a flange 37 of thecarriage-rail-member 16. The other end of the rock-shaft adjacent one ofthe side plates is formed with an arm or lip 38 by which the rock-shaftmay be operated. To this end, an operating or feed-roll-release lever 39is fulcrumed at 40 upon the side plate 10, the lower extension 41 ofsaid lever being formed with a bent-over tab 42, which is arranged toengage a cam-surface 43 of said lip. In Figure 1 the lever is shown ininoperative position. and resting against the tierod 12 as a stop. Thelever has a fingerpiece 44 by which it may be thrown into Fig ure 2position, whereby said tab 42 catches behind anoifset 45 on said lip andblocks'the feed-rolls in ineffective position against the tension ofspring 30. The paper-table (see Figure 3) is mechanically well balancedfor operation, as the cam-roller 33 engages the same centrally andintermediately of the two feed-roll units.

A structure combining a front scale and papenfingers is independentlysupported upon the platen-carriage and designated as a whole by thenumeral 46. This structure includes a rail 47 which is spaced byspacerplates or shims 48 from a conventional front scale 49. The scalewill assist in guiding the work to the printing line and may be employedto align the work with the printing line as well as transversely of themachine. The clearance thus provided between the rail and the frontscale may receive the paperfingers 50 which, in effect, form an upwardcontinuation of the paper-table around the platen, each finger beingunitary with a slide 51 set against the rail and slidably held theretoby ears 52 bent over and around the upper and the lower edges of therail (see Figure 4). The fingers may therefore be moved laterally alongthe rail for marginal engagement with papers of different widths. Tostabilize their sliding movement the paperfingers have in additionstamped-out tongues 52 bent over and around the upper edge of said frontscale 49. Rail and front scale are joined together at both ends bythrough bolts 53 and nuts 54, the rail being supported upon theplaten-carriage by a plurality of resilient cross-pieces or straps 55,which are screwed at 56 to the platen-frame. Each end of the rail a7 issupported by a strap 55 to which it is fastened by through bolts 53.WVashers are interposed between the straps and the rail to provideclearance for the ears 52 of the paper-fingers. A strap mayintermediately support the rail to which it is fastened by screw 58tapped into said rail and also carrying a clearance washer 57. Theresilient supporting straps are preferably curved, as shown, to meetindividual constructive requirements, as indicated above.

Figure 1 shows a Work-sheet as being fed around the platen with thefeed-rolls engaged, and it may furthermore be noted that a forward nose59' of thepaper-guide, partly overlapping the front scale and thepaperfingers, provides a smooth transition 'of the paper from thepaper-guide to the front scale structure 46, thus eliminating, overprior constructions, the possibility of the paper being caught andturned over on the front scale and paper-lingers. The paperguide and thepaper-fingers, in Figure 1 position of the paper-table, are shown toform a smooth curved line which, starting from the rear, converges intothe platen outline.

When a work-sheet is loosely inserted and aligned, that is, with thefeed-rolls released as is shown to be the case in Figure 2, the dangerof the front scale or paper-fingers obstructing the leading edge of. thepaper is obviated by so constructing the rear part ofthe hangers as tobe of greater length than the front part, so that, due to theoverbalancing of the rear rolls, the front part of the hangers restsagainst the paper-guide, the arrangement of the parts being such thatboth the front and the rear feed-rolls then are kept slightly separatedfrom the platensurface without obstructing the passage of thework-sheet. Consequently, it will be seen that the work-sheet is keptclose to the platen-surface and smoothly conducted into' the guidance ofthe paper-lingers which meanwhile, due to the nose 59 of the apron 17urging the same outward, and due to the resiliency of the supportingmembers, are held:

separated from the platen-surface.

\Vith respect to Figure 1, it Wlll be noted, as to the generalarrangement of the parts,

that the swivel axis of the paper-guide 17 is located approximately atthe center of thecarriage-base-plate 11 which is preferably transverselyinclined, having a lower front and an upper rear end; said swivel axisalso being located approximately at the center of the lower curved partof said paper-guide, the curvature of the paper-guide being considerablylarger than. the platen, so as to allow for adequate rocking movement. Asuitable distance forwardly from said swivel axis, the swivel center ofthe feed-roll system is located upon the paper-guide, which swivelcenter happens to be substantially in a vertical plane with theplatenaxis. Still furthe opposite hi her corner of the base-plate is.

located a cam-mechanism which actuatesthe feed-roll release, as alreadydescribed. above. From this compact arrangement, it will be seen thatthe leverage of the forces acting upon the paper-table is keptrelatively small, so that no considerable bending stresses will be setupin the same, and deformation of the usually light paper-table, whichmight impair the function of the feed-roll mechanism, is avoided. Therear rollers are spaced from their swivel center well beyond the swivelaxis of the paper-table, so that a workpiece, especially a card, wheninserted with the feed-rolls engaged, will readily be gripped and fedthereby. On the other hand, when the paper-table is rocked forwardly forfeed-roll release (Figure 2), the'feed-roll system will rock in oppositedirection to abut said paper-table as astop, so that the feedroll systemis shifted in substantially paralr' lel relationto and from theplaten-surface, and the feed-rolls as a result will, always be properlyspaced from the platen for free passage of a work-sheet. The feed-rolls,fur-- thermore, due to their movable arrangement upon and relatively tothe paper-guide, will minimize the space required for the shifting massbetween the platen and the carriagebase-plate. I

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I: claim: 7 r

1. The combination with a revoluble platen and a frame, of apaper-guiding apron curving forwardly under said platen, the:platen-frame having a pivot upon which: said. apron. is hinged to swingup and down, sets of forward and rear feed-rolls to? rotate against theunder side of said platen, said apron forming a. pressure-equalizingframe for all of said roll-sets'upon which the rolls are revolublymounted, end levers'extending from the forward rolls to the rear rolls,the

end levers being swiveled to said apron ata point about midway betweenthe front and rear feed-rolls, and a spring engaging the middle portionof said apron at a point about midway between the front and rearroll-axes,

platen, of a. platen-frame and a paper-guid ing apron hinged upon theplaten-frame and curving forwardly under the platen and movabledownwardly to release the work-sheet, paper-guiding fingers arranged atthe front of the platen, a bar in front of the platen under the printingline upon which said paper-fingers are adjustable along the platen, andyieldable supports extending from said bar to the platen-frame andsecured to the latter to permit the paper-fingers to swing forwardlyfrom the front of the platen, said paper-fingers being engageable by thefront of said paper-guiding apron to beswung forwardly by the downwardmovement of the apron.

3. The combination with a revoluble platen, of a platen-frame and apaper-guiding apron hinged upon the platen-frame and curving forwardlyunder the platen and movable downwardly to release the work-sheet,paper-guiding fingers arranged at the front of the platen, a bar infront of the platen under the printing line upon which saidpaper-fingers are adjustable along the platen, yieldable supportsextending from said bar to the platen-frame and secured to the latter topermit the paper-fingers to swing forwardly from the front of theplaten, said paper-fingers being engageable by the front of saidpaper-guiding apron to be swung forwardly by the downward movement ofthe apron, and a platenscale secured upon said bar above the sameandbelow the printing line.

4. In a portable typewriting machine, the compact combination with apaper-feeding revoluble platen journaled in a platen-carriage having aforwardly-inclined base-plate formed with a front and a rear rail-memberfor lateral movement of the carriage upon the machine, of a paper-tableback of the platen and extending around the lower part thereof, saidpaper-table at its lower part pivoted upon said carriage base-platesubstantially at the center thereof and curved to allow for rockingmovement in aplane at right angles to the platen-axis, a spring arrangedbetween said front rail-member and the front part of the paper-table,normally urging the same towards the platen, a camshaft effective torock the paper-table and a system of feed-rolls to co-operate with thelower part of the platen in paper feed, said system including apressure-equalizing feedroll carrier pivoted between its front and rearupon the lower side of said paper-table and tiltable in a plane at rightangles to the platen-axis, and feed-rolls at the front and the rear endrespectively, of said carrier, the tilting axis being locatedintermediate the swing axis of the paper-table and said spring, the rearpart of the tilting feed-rollcarrier extending beyond the swing axis ofthe paper-table to locate the rollers between said swing axis and saidcam-shaft, the front part of said carrier extending forwardly to locatethe front rollers beyond said spring system, the front and rearfeed-rolls, due

upon the platen-carriage for rocking movement to carry supported thereonsaid feedrolls, and rockable for feed-roll release and engagement, and amovable structure in front of the platen for upwardly conducting thepaper, said structure including a rail or front scale for paperalignment having slidable thereon upwardly-extending paper-fingers, andfurther including a plurality of flat spring members extending below thefront part of said paper-table to resiliently support said frontstructure upon the platencarriage while normally urging the guidingparts against the platen-surface, the front edge of the paper-table,upon its feed-roll release movement, operatively engaging the guidingparts of said front structure to separate the same from theplaten-carriage for clear paper passage.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a paper-feedingrevoluble platen and a platen-frame, of combined means for inserting,aligning and feeding a work-piece, said means including a paper-table toguide the paper around the lower part of the platen and mounted upon theplaten-carriage 3 for rocking movement in a plane at right angles to theplaten-axis, a movable system of feed-rolls to co-operate with the lowerpart of the platen, including a combined set of front and rearfeed-rolls mounted upon the 77 front and rear part, respectively, of apressure-equalizing lever-frame hung from the lower side of saidpaper-table, the feed-rolls being normally rendered effective when thepaper-table is spring-pressed into rearward and upward position, meansto operate the paper-table for feed-roll release, and parts in front ofthe platen mounted independently of said paper-table to co-operate withsaid paper-table in aligning and conducting the paper around the platen,said parts including a rail, paper-fingers laterally slidable thereon toform an upward extension of the paper-table, a scale-member for paperaligning in front of said rail-member and in rigid relation thereto, andresilient supports to mount said rail upon the platen-frame, in such amanner that, upon downward feedroll release, the paper-guide may urgesaid front parts from the platen for clear paper passage while thefront-scale upper edge moves forwardly in substantially horizontaldirection to facilitate paper aligning.

ARTHUR F. LEAR.

